The short red-head sighed, sneezed, and sighed again. She was still cold and the ropes on her hands and feet were uncomfortable. Chiru's captor was mumbling to himself in the corner about something or another.

"YOU'LL NEVER TAKE ME ALIVE COPPERS!!!!" Chiru suddenly screamed at the top of her lungs, causing the boy to jump three feet in the air.

"You…" He looked properly murderous now, but Chiru only grinned. He wasn't a fighter.

"C'mon Keni, lemme go." Keni went back to where he'd been before and tried not to look ruffled by her puppy eyes.

"No, you're coming back, voluntary or not."

"Hmmmm, so you'll face down my new friends for that?" Chiru smirked as he froze.

"There's no way they can find this place." He consoled himself and settled back.

"Oh Keni, your underestimating me again, that's why I left in the first place." Keni ignored her, so Chiru took the opportunity to reexamine her old partner. He had red hair a bit darker than her boy form's. He'd grown taller too, she noticed with a small frown. His forest green clothes fit him better than hers and were newer.

'He must've improved, the bastard.' Contrary to her thoughts, Chiru's look had some fondness laced through it, before she slipped out of her bonds and ran. 'Still can't tie a knot worth crap though.'

Her ringing laugh and his curses rang through the night, just like old times…